Cerebral hypoxia-ischemia (stroke) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality through all stages of the life cycle, including for infants born prematurely, for children in intensive care units, and for elderly with cerebral vascular accidents. Infants and children who survive hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy demonstrate lifelong neurologic handicaps, including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, epilepsy, and learning disabilities. Vannucci, R. C. (2000) “Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,” American Journal of Perinatology 17(3): 113-120.
Cerebral hypoxia-ischemia commonly occurs in critically ill children, most notably in association with cardiopulmonary arrest. Lipid emulsions are commonly used in pediatric intensive care and are an important source of calories in these critically-ill children. Most commercially available emulsions are formed from soybean oil, which have high concentrations of omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids. Lipid emulsions rich in omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids such as α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are derived from fish oils, and are not yet widely available for clinical use. However, omega-3 oils have been shown to have beneficial effects in neurologic diseases such as epilepsy, depression, and behavioral disorders. Most studies support a neuroprotective effect due to dietary administration leading to altered membrane lipid composition. In one study, intravenous α-linolenic acid given before and/or after neurologic insult was protective in two animal models, kainate-induced seizures and global ischemia via four vessel occlusion in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Lauritzen I, Blondeau N, Heurteaux C, Widmann C, Romey G, Lazdunski M., “Polyunsaturated fatty acids are potent neuroprotectors,” The EMBO Journal, 2000 Apr. 17; 19(8):1784-93. However, there remains a need for methods to protect the brain and other organs and tissues against damage after an initial ischemic insult. The present invention fulfills this need.